Has your child ever asked you this question? Most children pose this question on the eve of the reopening day and on Monday mornings. And when even the child who isn’t in kindergarten anymore still says it on all days except holidays, we only cajole and coax him and pack him off to that detested destination. When we cannot reason or please, we inflict our authority and end up shouting at him. “While every other child makes it to the school without much fuss, what is wrong with you ?”
Frantic enquiries at school, discussions with parents of the classmates, health check-up.. The anxiety catches on. In most cases, the problem certainly gets narrowed down by now. It remains our task to rectify it. ‘Easier said than done’, you say? Well, we can look for help from beneficial sources, too.
When the question. “Why should I go to school?” came from my friend’s son of eight years, she paused so as to let him see why. Ram, the little fellow had solid justification. “I love movies and I admire the heroes. They are such strong men and they evoke admiration and respect form the society. When I grow up, I want to be such a hero. I don’t want to go to school to study subjects that are irrelevant to my choice of future career. I speak good english other than my mother tongue. I know basic mathematics. That’ll do.”
My friend and I sat in discussion and we came out with ‘positive strategies’. The boy needed to rediscover
- the joy of learning,
- the role of education in shaping an individual.
We decided to show him that education cannot be compartmentalized and kept out of the everyday life. We asked him to list three things that he felt have no room for the subjects taught at school. He came up with the following and we gave him the ‘application in real life’ of the knowledge imparted at school, considering his age and academic level.
- CRICKET
Relevance of education:
Physics: Speed (of the ball) = distance travelled by the ball divided by the time taken for it to reach the bat.
Mathematics: The angle formed between the bowler, batsman and the ball’s course which determines the run scored.
Statistics& Arithmetic: Run rate, area of the field, distance between the batsmen, etc. Calculation of overs, maidens, wickets.
History: Origin of the game, record of previous players
Geography: Nature of the Pitch, speed of wind, lighting, weather conditions.
Biology: The fitness regime and work outs of players, food, tea-breaks at recommended intervals, first-aid.
2. Movies and Acting
Relevance of education:
Physics: Skill in handling the camera and every equipment related to film-making.
Chemistry: Various make-up kits prepared with exact combination of cosmetic materials.
History: The previous projects of similar nature, the approach, mistakes and achievements of the past.
Geography: Planning of shooting locations, study of weather conditions there.
Statistics& Arithmetic: Maintenance of accounts, calculation of every kind - right from production unit up to distribution of the movie.
3. BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER
Physics: Heat, Light, Time, Condensation, Evaporation, Refrigeration.
Biology: Fermentation, Pasturisation, calorie calculation.
Chemistry: Preservation, Baking
Maths: Proportion, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Angles.
History: Traditional foods, Regional delicacies, foods of festivals.
The boy of eight was, for sure, baffled. His mother enlightened him further that childhood is the time for acquiring the basic knowledge of as many subjects as possible. “It is like having an open ticket, you see”, she told him. ” As you grow older, you can focus further on your favorite areas of specialization. Till then, as you would do when you go to a buffet party, try tasting every topic that is offered to you. We will stand by you when you decide upon your career after your schooling.”
Ram was convinced enough. After all, it pays to be the civilized being, thanks to the knowledge imparted at school. ” Who’d wish to go back to stone age, living in caves, eating uncooked food sans television and computer”, he quipped.
‘Knowledge is power’ - Swami Vivekanada had put it just right.